Advertising and display device



Feb. 15, 1955 J. H. LEMELSON ADVERTISING AND DISPLAY DEVICE 2Sheets-Shae. 1

Filed Sept. 21. 1950 Fig.2 v

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M s y m M wk f T E A M 4 M m fiy F B Feb. 15, 1955 I J, soN 2,701,929

ADVERTISING AND DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Sept. 21, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVJZN TOR.

JZ-rems' 5 45154 MFM ATTORNEY United States Patent ADVERTISING ANDDISPLAY DEVICE Jerome H. Lemelson, New York, N. Y.

Application September 21-, 1950, Serial No. 185,960

6 Claims. (Cl. 40-130 My invention relates to a new and improvedlighting device which is especially suitable for advertising and displaypurposes, in toys and for many other purposes.

It is well-known to form large bubbles in a light-impermeable liquidwhich has a low boiling point, by applying heat to the bottom of acolumn of such liquid. Reference is made to United States Patents No.2,383,941 and No. 2,353,063 as illustrating the formation of bubbles.

According to my invention, I utilize a liquid which is light permeableper se, and which is given the necessary blocking action against lightby dissolving a dye therein.

For example, the liquids which I use may be clear and transparentliquids such as chloroform and carbon tetrachloride, or any other liquidwith a low boiling point which will bu-hhle satisfactorily. As oneexample, chloroform can be given a suitable light-blocking power bydissolving a black nigrosine dye therein, and diazine black can bedissolved either in carbon tetrachloride or in chloroform for thepurposes above-mentioned.

The dissolved dye does not make the volatile liquid whollylight-impermeable. When a bubble is formed in a liquid of this type, thebubble moves upwardly through the body of liquid. The bubble is ofsubstantially the same diameter as the tube in which the bubble rises sothat there is a thin film of liquid which is located laterally betweenthe rising bubble and the wall of the tube. I preferably utilize aliquid-containing tube with a mask which has a series of openings. Whena bubble is alined with an opening, the bubble is designated as being inan on" or light-transmitting position. When a bubble is alined with animperforate part of the mask, the bubble is designated as being in theoff position.

For example, the internal diameter of the tube may be 6 mm., and it maycontain a solution of 2 milligrams to 4 milligrams of Nigrosine SS incc. of methyl chloroform, whose formula is CHsCClz. The boiling point ofmethyl chloroform is 74.1 C. In this embodiment, a 25 watt bulb wasplaced behind the tube and the inner walls of the shell or containerwere provided with a bright reflecting coating of aluminum for maximumreflection.

If the inner diameter of the tube is increased, the concentration of thedissolved dye is decreased. Otherwise, there would not be enoughcontrast between the bubbles and the bubble-free liquid. Theconcentration of the dye is critical, in order to secure a clear flashof light at each bubble, which is substantially transparent to get clearcontrast.

If the intensity of the light source is increased, the concentration ofthe dye may be slightly increased, while preserving said clear contrastbetween the bubbles and the bubble-free liquid.

Other objects and features of my invention are described in the annexeddescription and drawings which illustrate a preferred embodimentthereof.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a vertical section partially in elevation, which shows a maskwhich has a series of holes;

Fig. 2 is the same as Fig. 1, save that the mask of fig. 2 has a singleslot instead of a series of vertical alined oles;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing the combination of a mask which hasa vertical slot as in Fig. 2, and in 2,701,929 Patented Feb. 15, 1955which the tube has a series of light-impermeable sections in order togive the effect of a series of holes;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-section of another embodiment;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partially in cross-section, whichillustrates a toy which is provided with the improved device; and

Fig. 6 is a front view of Fig. 5. 1

Fig. 1 illustrates a tube 1 which is closed at 1ts top and bottom in theusual manner and which is provided at its bottom end with any suitableheater. These details are old and require no specific detailedillustration. The wall of this tube 1 can be made of glass or anysuitable light-permeable material.

By using a volatile liquid with a suitable dark dye dissolved therein,the heat of said liquid at the bottom thereof produces large bubbles 3whose width is substantially the same as the width of the tube 1. Inthis embodiment, the tube 1 is cylindrical and it is provided at its topabove the liquid 2 with the usual space in which the vapor of the liquid2 condenses and drops back into the column of liquid.

Fig. 1 shows a series of bubbles 3, some of which are horizontallyalined with the holes 6 in a mask 5 which is located in front of thetube 1. Numeral 4 indicates a source of light which passes beams oflight B through the holes 6 when a bubble 3 is in the on positionrelative to the holes 6. The station 13 indicates the eye of theobserver.

As the bubbles 3 rise through the column of liquid 2, alternatelyblocking and unblocking the vertical alined holes 6, an on and ofleffect of the light is secured because light passes freely through anopening 6 when it is alined with a bubble 3, and little or substantiallyno light passes through an opening 6 when it is alined with the liquid.

The reference numeral 7 indicates an additional mask, used optionally,for the purpose of preventing any passage of light through the tube 1,save through a bubble 3 which is alined with the opening 6.

Fig. 2 is the same as Fig. 1, save that a single vertical slot 8replaces the holes 6 of the mask 5, giving the effect of a series oflight sources moving upwards as light passes through each bubble.

Fig. 3 shows a vertically slotted maks 5, combined with a tube 1 whichhas a series of sections 9 which are spaced vertically from each other.Said sections 9 are substantially light-impermeable and the verticalspaces between adjacent spaces 9 are light-permeable and preferablywholly transparent. The embodiment of Fig. 3 gives the same effect asthe embodiment of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of Fig. 4, the light is transmitted horizontally fromthe source 4 in the direction of the arrow A. The light passes through atube 1 which is provided with a mask 5 which has a vertical slot 8 orthe vertically superposed holes 6 as previously illustrated in Figs. 1and 2. Light thus passes in a series of pulses or moving bands through atransparent sheet 11 which can be made of glass, various plastics or thelike.

The reference numerals 12 respectively indicate respective depressionsin the transparent sheet 11. These depressions 12 are located so as toprovide the outline of an advertising display. One way of providingthese depressions 12 is to form the same in the process of molding thesheet 11 of glass and then to etch or grind the walls of the recessedwalls 12 in order to provide the desired light diffusing effect. If thesheet is made of plastic, the recesses or depressions 12 can be made bygrinding.

The flashing or moving light escapes through the recesses 12, thusproviding a superior display effect.

The embodiment of Figs. 5 and 6 illustrates a toy figure which has apedestal 15 and an interior lamp 16 which is mounted in a base 17 whichis fixed to a projection 1-8 of the hollow body 14. The referencenumeral 19 indicates one of the wire connections. The tube 1 is locatedas shown best in Fig. 5, and said tube is provided at its bottom with aheater 20 which is an electric" tion of a light blocking dye in avolatile and l-ight-permeable liquid, the lower end of said tube havinga heater to form light-permeable bubbles of the vapor of said liquidwhich pass upwardly to the other end of said tube to be condensed in theupper end part of said tube, and a mask associated with said tube, saidmask having an open part through which light can be transmitted, andmeans for transmitting a beam of light through said bubbles and saidopen part, said open part being a single slot.

, 2. A tube which is closed at both ends, the wall of said tube having aseries of sections which are respectively light-permeable andlight-impermeable, said tube being partially filled with light-permeableliquid in which a light blocking dye is dissolved, and a heater locatedabove the lower end of said tube and adapted to produce -light-permeablebubbles which pass upwardly through said liquid to be condensed at theupper end of said tube.

3. A tube which is closed at both ends, the wall of said tube having aseries of sections which are respectively light-permeable andlight-impermeable, said tube being partially filled with light-permeableliquid in which a light blocking dye is dissolved, and a heater locatedabove the lower end of said tube and adapted to produce light-permeablebubbles which pass upwardly through said liquid to be condensed at theupper end of said tube, and means to transmit light through saidbubbles. I

4. In combination, a sheet made of light-permeable material, said sheethaving a face which has depressions therein, a tube located at one edgeof said sheet, said tube being partially filled with a light-permeableliquid which has a light-blocking dye dissolved therein, said tubehaving a heater at one end thereof which is adapted to formlight-permeable bubbles in said liquid which move in said liquid awayfrom said heater to be condensed in said tube, and means for producing aflashing efiect by the passage of said bubbles.

5. A lighting device which comprises a tube which is closed at bothends, and which extends longitudinally, said tube being made oflight-permeable material, said tube being partially filled with asolution of a light blocking dye in a volatile and light-permeableliquid, the lower end of said tube having a heater to formlight-permeable bubbles of the vapor of said liquid which pass upwardlyto the other end of said tube to be condensed in the upper end part ofsaid tube, said bubbles substantially conforming in cross-sectional areato the cross-sectional area of said tube, and a longitudinally extendingmask postioned opposite one side of said tube, said mask having at leastone open part in registration with said side of said tube and throughwhich light can be transmitted, and means for transmitting a beam oflight toward said side of said tube and said open part of said mask,said light passing through both said tube and said open part of saidmask when a bubble is positioned opposite said open part of said mask.

6. A device in accordance with claim 5, in which said mask has aplurality of longitudinally a-lined and spaced open parts through whichlight can be transmitted, said beam of light being directed toward allof said open parts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

